Distraction
by WriterFreak001
Summary: Post "Postcards from the Edge." Because Walter was still recovering from the injuries he sustained in the wreck, Cabe asked Paige to take the day off and distract him from work while the other geniuses handle the influx of cases. Knowing that the garage was most likely the last place Walter should be if Cabe had wanted him to keep his mind off of work... [[more inside]].
1. Part 1

**WriterFreak001:**

I am exhausted from my commencement ceremony today so updates on _Poaching_ will be either tomorrow or Monday. I thought I would write a light and fluffy two-shot to feed your hunger until then. :)

By the way, I'm trying a different writing style where I incorporate all character points of view at once. Hopefully, it doesn't become too cluttered; let's just call this a trial piece.

* * *

 **Title** | Distraction

 **Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

 **Description** | Post "Postcards from the Edge." Because Walter was still recovering from the injuries he sustained in the wreck, Cabe asked Paige to take the day off and distract him from work while the other geniuses handle the influx of cases. Knowing that the garage was most likely the last place Walter should be if Cabe had wanted him to keep his mind off of work, she decided to take a mini-vacation and convinced the stubborn man to accompany her to Zuma Beach.

 **Rating** | This fanfiction will be rated T for suggestive themes.

 **POV** | Third Person Omniscient

 **Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_ , I am the owner of this masterpiece.

 **Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

 **Distraction**

 **Written by WriterFreak001**

 **Part 1**

 **~ S** **CORPION ~**

Walter hated being unproductive. There were hundreds of things that needed to be done for the company and for himself, but Cabe had him on ice. Because he was only released from the hospital a few days ago, Cabe didn't want him working any cases until he had passed his psych eval and was completely healed from the injuries he had sustained in the wreck. His first psychological evaluation was scheduled for Monday, and he had it in his head that he could pass his examination in one session. Much to his dismay, Toby disagreed and didn't think Walter would be fit to return to the field for at least another month, maybe more, depending on what Dr. Davis – the same, intransigent woman Walter's team had visited several months ago after the painting fiasco – writes down. Despite Toby's insight; however, Walter was determined to heal fast and return to work as soon as humanly possible.

Psychologically, he believed he was fine; his physical wellness, however, was a different story. Without pain medication, it still hurt like hell moving and walking around, but he was instructed to move a little bit each day to keep his blood flowing and his muscles moving. Even _with_ pain killers, walking around the garage wasn't an easy task; however, he pretended everything was fine. He didn't want his friends to worry about him. They had more pressing matters – like the cases he couldn't work – to worry about. Being stuck at the garage was dull and boring; it was one thing to be working on a project while everyone else was around, working on their _own_ projects, but it was a constant drag to be at home while everybody else was having fun.

Now he knew what Toby had felt like in Las Vegas many months ago.

Walter tried working on encryptions and Cabe Jr. and his rocket, but he couldn't concentrate on his tasks. He would much rather be with the team, focusing on fixing other peoples' problems.

Hopefully, today, Cabe would at least let him in on the case; he could help from a safe distance. No harm. No foul. He just wanted to do _something_ more productive than staying in an empty garage and doing seemingly nothing. Even the thought of playing video games didn't appeal to him.

Slowly, Walter pushed himself off of his bed and headed to his bathroom for a quick shower. Once he was dressed (and God, was it painful) and ready for the day, he dragged his feet from the loft to the kitchen downstairs, ignoring the stares he was receiving from his coworkers.

Toby was the first to rise from his desk and rush over to Walter. "You take a seat at the table; I'll get your coffee for you." While Walter thought he was fooling everyone into thinking he was fine, Toby saw right through the man's façade. He noted how Walter favored one side over the other, and if _he_ had noticed it, so did Happy and Sylvester. The only one who might buy into Walter's charades would be Paige.

Toby had been observing Walter and Paige since the accident, and their feelings for one another couldn't be more evident. Walter was far more focused on making Paige smile than he was with his usual pursuits, and _Miss Dineen_ couldn't stop fluttering her goo-goo eyes whenever 197 wasn't looking. There were also times Toby had caught Walter observing Paige from his desk. Because of the emotional rollercoaster Walter had experienced when his life was on the line, Toby took a step back from expressing his thoughts about Walter's feelings for Paige, and he didn't know if he'd ever encounter the man about them anytime soon, either. At least 197 was actually _aware_ of his behavioral changes this time (that _had_ to be progress, right?).

"No. I've got it." Walter faked a smile and suppressed his urge to grimace as he shuffled to the counter. "Thank you, though."

"No problem," Toby grinned, crossed his arms and leaned against the fridge. "Say, are you mad at me for referring you to Dr. Davis instead of evaluating your behavior myself?" Toby could really care less if Walter was mad at him; he just wanted a reason to stay and talk to the guy. Small talk could go a _very_ long way. (Or so he heard.)

"No," Walter cocked an eyebrow after pouring his coffee. "Why would I be?"

Toby shrugged. "You didn't really like Dr. Davis the first time…."

"My thoughts about Dr. Davis have nothing to do with her professionalism; you, above all people, should know how I feel about psychology. The last time I met with her, she was just doing her job, just as we were doing ours when we blew up that fake painting." Walter paused to take a sip of his still-cinnamon-flavored coffee. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Toby; you were simply demonstrating professional courtesy. While I'd much prefer to listen to your crazy psychobabble as opposed to Dr. Davis, our friendship and co-working relationship would impair your objectivity."

"Thanks… I think." Toby blinked, unsure if Walter was praising his professionalism or insulting his craft. As Walter slowly headed for his desk, Toby followed. "So, while Scorpion is on a case, what does the great 197 have planned for today?"

Walter frowned but kept walking. He knew what Toby was going to say if he told the shrink the truth so he lied. "Just going to work on my rocket some."

"You hesitated." Toby jabbed his finger into Walter's shoulder. "Hesitation suggests deception; so I'll ask again: what are you planning to do today, Walt?" Toby was tired of Walter's go-to defense mechanism; whenever 197 was either uncomfortable with certain confrontations or wanted to avoid conversation, he'd flat-out lie through his teeth, and if there was something Toby hated more than Drew, it was dishonesty. He usually dismissed Walter's evasive behavior, but whenever the man's deception involved another member of Scorpion, Toby felt like it was his job to intervene. Besides, _somebody_ had to give that man a reality check every once in a while.

Walter sighed as Toby cocked an eyebrow; he couldn't seem to get _anything_ passed the shrink as of lately; either Walter was getting sloppy, or Toby was improving, and the 197 IQ genius was pretty sure it wasn't the latter. "I'm hoping to see if Cabe will let me in on some of the action today," Walter confessed as he placed his coffee mug on his desk, sat down and rubbed his temples. "From a safe distance, of course."

"Why bother?" Toby chuckled, receiving a glare from Walter. "Cabe – excuse me, _Homeland_ – has you on ice; meaning no involvement in our cases whatsoever. You know what he's going to say so why waste your breath?" Walter, for as long as Toby had known him, was never one to ask questions when he already knew the answers. It was a complete waste of time and extremely redundant. Not to mention so-un-Walter-like.

"Cabe… might have a change of heart," Walter spoke quietly; his response made Toby laugh.

"Last time I checked, you believed the heart was nothing more than a circulatory muscle." Toby was grinning ear to ear. Oh the little things Walter O'Brien did these days. "What's next, O'Brien? You going to say love exists now?" Walter folded his arms and leaned back into his chair – another defensive stance Walter often used when he was uncomfortable. Toby's smile grew even wider.

"Mind." Walter closed his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh. "You knew what I meant, Toby." He rubbed the taut skin under his eyes and wondered when Paige or Cabe was going to arrive. He needed _someone_ to save him from Toby's psychological harassment. To avoid speaking, he took a swig of his coffee and turned on his computer. Toby didn't leave, though. "What now?"

Toby shrugged. "Just wondering what could be so wrong with staying at the garage that would make you want to beg Cabe to let help with the cases…."

"There's nothing to do here," Walter quickly answered in a low voice, and the moment those words flew out of his mouth, he regretted them. Now Toby wasn't going to go away until he got to the bottom of _whatever_ was going on with Walter's inability to focus on his projects.

"You _live_ here!" Toby nearly shouted. Sylvester and Happy glanced at them but then swiftly returned to their personal projects, not wanting to get into the middle of whatever was going on between the two geniuses. "You have your rocket, Cabe Jr., Ferret Bueller, Proton Arnold, video games, your encryption projects and a freaking garage full of gadgets for shenanigans and tomfooleries!" Toby couldn't believe Walter's response. Walter, if anybody, _always_ had something to do at the garage; while he wasn't one for the silly games Toby liked to play, 197 certainly never grew bored within his own home. And besides, Walter wasn't banned from ever leaving the garage; he just couldn't work the cases until he was cleared by Dr. Davis and Homeland. For all Toby cared, Walter could leave and buy himself some ice cream or something. He wasn't a prisoner – he was just… taking an involuntary sabbatical. "How is there nothing to do here?"

"Toby," Walter gave his 'friend' a warning look. "Drop it."

"No way, José." Toby leaned against the side of Walter's desk and folded his arms in front of him. He took off his hat and twirled it. "We're just getting started." Suddenly, the door opened, and Paige swiftly walked into the garage, sending Walter a small smile on her way to her desk. Walter smiled back, and Toby certainly did not fail to miss such a _delightful_ exchange. To regain Walter's attention, Toby waved his hand in front of the man's face and leaned towards the emotional dumpster fire as he whispered, "Just because a certain _someone_ made her grand appearance, it does not m—"

Before Toby could finish his train of thought, Walter was already out of his chair and making his way towards Paige. The behaviorist noted how _normal_ Walter was walking; in fact, if Toby didn't know any better (which he did, but _if_ he didn't), he wouldn't have thought to guess that Walter was injured at all. Toby smirked. What a strange power Miss Dineen held over Walter O'Brien.

The best part?

197 was _completely_ oblivious to it.

Toby wasn't the only one who noticed the sudden spring in Walter's step as the genius practically raced to greet Paige in order to flee from the shrink's psychoanalysis. Happy and Sylvester, who were also aware of Walter's social changes around Paige, glanced up from their desks to study Walter's behavior. Happy, though stoic, inwardly smiled at her friend; she was glad he found someone he liked as well as could connect with. Walt's bond with the kid also strengthened his connection with Paige, too. When Paige had told Walter she was leaving for Portland last month, Happy wanted to smack that woman in the face for hurting her friend.

Even though she grew to like Paige over the year, Happy feared what sort of impact the young mother would have on Walter if she ever left. And while Happy didn't blame Paige for Walter's idiotic decision to drive that damn Ferrari in the middle of the night at 200 miles per hour, the mechanic now realized just how strong of an influence Paige had on Walter. Not only did the emotional-defective idiot refuse to let Cabe save him until he had spoken to Paige, but he was so close to fessing up his feelings when he had thought he was going to die.

He kept on _needing_ to see Paige and talk to her, and Happy didn't need to be a shrink to tell that Walt's mini eulogies were his way of telling everyone how much they'd meant to him. She'd recognized it right away when he had started reminiscing memories he had shared with her. The desire for Walt to see Paige when he was dying a few weeks ago told Happy everything she needed to know about the man's feelings for the company's translator. However, she didn't feel the need to butt in like a certain behaviorist she knew; Walter and Paige were both adults. They didn't need anybody else to decide their relationship status for them. (Though, Happy wanted both of her friends to be happy, and she knew they smiled more together than they did a part.)

Sylvester was probably the only one smiling wider than Toby. Sly was very happy for both his friends, and he was glad Paige was staying in LA. Sylvester wasn't really sure how Walter felt for Paige or vice versa, but the fact that both of them were g was enough to make Sylvester smile in return. He didn't like seeing his friends fight several weeks ago; he understood Paige's need to protect Ralph, but he also understood things from Walter's point of view as well. Neither Walter nor Paige were wrong in what they wanted, but they both said all of the wrong things. Both of them were too emotional to have a civil conversation, and just watching the two of them argue that night had made Sylvester sick to his stomach. He liked Paige and Ralph, and he would have hated to see them leave, but he – above everyone – knew how important safety was. He didn't know if Walter and Paige had time to talk about their argument since Walter's accident, but as long as they were happy and smiling, Sylvester wasn't going to worry about it. He was just glad things were slowly returning to normal(ish).

Both Walter and Paige were oblivious to the stares they were receiving from around the room. After the genius greeted Paige, she smiled and mentioned something about getting some coffee, and even though Walter already had his morning's cup, he followed her into the kitchen to avoid further confrontation from Toby. They walked side by side as they passed the stairs and entered the kitchen. Their fingers brushed each other, and both of them pretended not to have noticed the tingles they felt when their skin touched.

"Did, um…," Walter leaned against the counter and scratched the side of his face as Paige poured herself some coffee. "Did Ralph get to school okay?" Of course he did, but Walter didn't know what else to say. He just wanted a reason to listen to her soothing voice.

"Mhmm," Paige smiled. She picked up her coffee mug and stood next to him; they were standing so close together that both of them could feel the heat swirling between them. "Since you're off cases for a while, I told Ralph's babysitter to drop him off here after school; I hope that's okay." She knew it would be, but she still asked anyway. And the warm smile she received was well worth it.

"Absolutely," Walter said almost too quickly. Perhaps he'd consider staying at the garage after all; he now had something to look forward to. "He could help me with my rocket…," he then remembered how much Paige valued her son's studies and added, "But only after he finishes his homework, of course."

"I think he'd like that," Paige's wide smile just made Walter's entire day better. He didn't know why, but seeing her smile always lit up the room and made him feel much more at ease than usual. Paige closed her eyes and took a sip of her coffee before placing her mug on the counter. She curled a strand of hair behind her ear and stared at the floor as Walter stared at her. She blushed under the intensity of his gaze and wondered what could be going on inside that genius's mind as his eyes intently watched her. "So…," she glanced at him and bit her lip, "how are you feeling?"

Walter shrugged. "I've been better." A heck of a lot better. "But I'll survive."

"How's your side?" Paige reached out to touch him but stopped herself, hoping Walter didn't notice, but he did. Her flushed face also didn't go unnoticed. Paige scolded herself for wanting to touch her boss, and then she started thinking about the dirty, vivid dreams she'd been having about the man next to her... Oh God…. Heat bubbled inside of her, and she suddenly felt hot, and his constant gaze made her blush even more.

Walter didn't understand why Paige was blushing, but he couldn't stop staring. Her rosy-colored cheeks intrigued him, and he wondered if _he_ had been the cause to her sudden rise in temperature. That thought, alone, did crazy things to his insides. He gulped. "It's, uhh, it's healing slower than I'd like." Walter tried sticking to facts to keep himself from thinking inappropriate things about his coworker, but it wasn't working as well as he'd hoped.

His mind suddenly flashed back to a dream he'd had some time ago after the brief moment he had shared with Paige in the forest fire. They were alone in the garage; Paige had wanted to conduct a social experiment involving physical contact. One thing led to another…, and he had woken up just as Dream Paige unhooked her bra. The dream felt so real, and it wasn't the only dream he'd had about the woman standing next to him. He remembered every one of them.

And when he felt his _own_ temperature starting to rise, he quickly shook away his thoughts, not wanting Paige to catch him blushing, but she did; the sight of Walter blushing in her presence made her heart patter. She was tempted to yank him down for a searing kiss, but she was afraid he was giving off mixed signals. With Walter, she had a hard time figuring him out, but she _wanted_ to believe in the reality where he felt as strongly for her as she did him. She just didn't have enough courage to test her theory.

"I… uh…," Walter gulped; his statement surprised _both_ of them. "I still have to… um… to put a bandage on it, but it's kind of hard to do…." He scratched the side of his face and caught her watching him with a blank expression. Her lips were parted, and her long lashes fluttered as he spoke. "If you wouldn't mind…."

A warm smile found Paige's lips. "Of course not." She eagerly placed her mug down on the counter and casually grabbed his hand; he didn't freeze or flinch from her sudden touch, and she certainly noticed, making her smile grow. She led him up the stairs, and both of them ignored the blank stares they were receiving from Toby, Sylvester and Happy.

 **~ SCORPION ~**

When the door to Walter's apartment closed, Sylvester and Toby scrambled towards Happy, who was still eying the balcony.

"So what do you think they're doing up there?" Sylvester was the first to speak.

"Probably sex," Toby deadpanned with a smirk.

"No, idiot," Happy rolled her eyes. "They probably just went up there for some privacy. Walt's still in no condition to… be physically active…, and they wouldn't just up and leave to have sex with all of us still here."

"Or _would_ they?" Toby chuckled; he really knew they wouldn't, but he couldn't help but want to poke some fun at the idea. Then he saw the dirty looks Happy was giving him. "But…, then again…, you're probably right, Happy."

"No. I _am_ right."

 **~ SCORPION ~**

As Paige went to gather the medical kit underneath the kitchen counter, Walter sauntered to his bedroom, loosened his tie, slid it over his head and unbuttoned his shirt. When he neatly folded his button-up and placed it on the corner of his bed, he didn't notice Paige standing by the bookcase with an assortment of bandages, antiseptic and gauze cradled in her arms. She couldn't peel her eyes off of him as she silently gawked at his well-toned body. While he didn't have large muscles like a wrestler or even a six-pack, he definitely wasn't lanky either. When he caught her staring, she quickly recovered and approached him, but her rosy cheeks did not go unnoticed by Walter. He wasn't slightly nervous or embarrassed in front of Paige; his wound needed dressing. Removing his shirt was the most efficient solution, but he couldn't help the small sense of pride he felt the second he caught her _admiring_ his physique.

Paige dropped everything she had in her arms onto his bed, fell to her knees and took a few seconds to examine his still-healing wound. Before she could stop herself, she traced the scar, and her feathery touch sent shivers down Walter's spine. He silently gulped as they made eye contact. "Does it… hurt?"

"Not as much anymore," was all Walter said as she retracted her fingers and reached for the antiseptic. He watched her as she sterilized his wound and then covered it with a sheet of gauze. Her palm was warm, and Walter liked the feeling of the tips of her fingers melting against his flesh.

"Can you hold the gauze in place while I grab the bandage?" Paige looked up from his wound to his eyes and bit her lip. He only nodded and mindlessly covered her hand with his own. He didn't know if it was an accident or on purpose, but he didn't care. Hearing the small gasp leaving Paige's lips made his effort well worth it. For seconds, Paige didn't move; she didn't want to. She liked how his hand fit perfectly over hers even if it _was_ an accident. When she realized his wound wasn't going to dress itself, she flashed a small smile and slipped her hand out from underneath his. Walter's slight disappointment went unnoticed as she turned to fetch the bandage. Quietly, she hummed to herself as she took the ace bandage out of its package and then turned back to Walter. She worked slowly as she wrapped the bandage around his abdomen and could feel the intensity of Walter's gaze as she focused on bandaging his injury. "There," she gently pressed her hand against his stomach after she fastened the bandage together. "All done."

"Thank you," Walter mumbled as he offered his hand to help Paige to her feet. She placed her smooth palm into his, and he pulled her to her feet. Her hand did not fall away from his once she was standing as he had expected; instead, she curled her fingers around his hand and squeezed his palm before pulling away from him. She reached for his blue shirt and unfolded it before helping him slide his arms into the sleeves. Slowly, she glided the thin material over his shoulders but paused when their eyes found each other. Walter's lips were parted, and he was looking at her much like the time when she was trying to teach him how to flirt. He had forgotten how to breathe, and she couldn't remember how to function. Her palms were resting on his shoulders, and Walter found himself enveloping her in his arms; he didn't want her to leave so holding her was the most simple solution (at least, that was what he had told himself to rationalize his physical need for her proximity).

Her palms found the sides of his neck, and she leaned up to kiss him when a clanging noise brought them both back to the real world. Walter withdrew from Paige and scratched the side of his face as she shifted her eyes to the floor. Her face was flushed, and she turned to leave Walter without another word when a pair of eyes stopped her in her tracks. "H-Happy!"

Happy blinked a few times and slowly pointed towards the door to the loft. "Cabe's here. If you're coming Paige," Happy tried to pretend she didn't just witness the liaison putting Walt's shirt back on him and quickly finished. "I suggest you hurry up your little tryst with Walt and head downstairs." Without a word, the mechanic turned away and briskly left.

Seconds of awkward silence passed between Walter and Paige.

"You go on ahead," Walter was the first to speak as he ran his hand through his hair and then started buttoning his shirt. "I'll be down shortly to see you guys off."

Paige didn't question Walter's sudden cold shoulder and nodded. "Okay." She inhaled a deep breath and scurried out of the loft, completely embarrassed with herself.

Walter finished fastening his shirt together, slipped his tie over his head and tightened it before shoving his hands into his pockets.

Paige Dineen was going to be the death of him.

 **~ SCORPION ~**

The first thing Paige did when she descended the stairs was approach Happy at her workbench. The mechanic was gathering her tools together when Paige called her name. "Before you get any ideas," Paige started as Happy paused what she was doing and glanced at the woman, "what you saw wasn't what it looked like."

"Look," Happy crossed her arms and blinked, "I'm not judging; if you and Walt need to run off to have a quickie every now and then, that's your business. I'm just glad I didn't walk in on you two… in other compromising positions."

Paige blushed and faked a laugh to hide her shock, "But that's not what happened." She followed Happy to the door. "I was just helping Walter dress his wound; that's all. I knew it would hurt for him to put his shirt back on so I thought I'd give him a helping hand."

"Seemed like you were going to give him _much_ more than a helping hand from what I saw," Happy leaned against her desk and glanced towards the stairs as Walter made his way down.

Paige balked. "T-that may be _true_ , but we didn't do what you're thinking."

"It's really none of my business," Happy pulled her hair up and then grabbed her toolkit. "What you and Walt do in your free time doesn't concern me." Walter approached the women at the sound of his name. Happy glanced at him and then flicked her eyes towards Paige. "As long as your sexual relationship doesn't cost me my job, I'm cool with whatever." Happy briskly walked past them and headed for the door.

This time, Walter was the one who tried to set things straight. "Happy!" He called her name several times as he and Paige stopped her from walking out the door. "Whatever Paige had told you is correct; it's not what you think."

"Like I said," Happy pursed her lips and paused as Sly squeezed past her and stepped out of the garage, "It's none of my business. I'm just going to forget I saw _anything_." Without another word, Happy turned around and disappeared through the door.

Toby pranced up to the flushing pair and grinned. "Let me guess; Happy walked in on you two having a quickie." Both Walter and Paige shot Toby death glares. If looks could kill…. Toby rose his hands in defense. "Or not."

Before another word was said, Toby squeezed out the door, making Walter and Paige feel even more estranged. Cabe then walked up to them, and Walter opened his mouth to ask him about the case, but the agent cut him off. "Save it. Doc told me about your request, and the answer's no."

"Toby has a big mouth," Walter mumbled.

"Are you surprised?" Paige folded her arms and lifted an eyebrow. "Wait…what request?"

"197, here, wanted to have some involvement in our most recent case." Cabe glanced at Walter, and the genius purposely avoided the man's eyes. "Ice means ice, Walter."

"I know. I got it. No need to repeat yourself." Walter nodded in annoyance. Like a little kid, Walter loudly stomped off towards the kitchen, not wanting to hear anything about the case since he couldn't be involved.

Cabe rolled his eyes at Walter's childish behavior, but Paige laughed. She thought his mini tantrum was cute and adorable. Childish, yes, but funny. Cabe noticed the smile on her face and then glanced at Walter. He suddenly had an idea. "He really hates not being in the loop, doesn't he?"

"I think he just hates being unproductive." Paige found herself looking at Walter as he poured himself another coffee. "His injuries limit his movement so it's not like he can do much with his rocket or continue walking up and down the stairs whenever he wants. I'm sure he also hates being stuck here while everyone else is in on the action. Walter and restlessness do not mix very well."

"I know, but I'm concerned for his wellbeing; if he returns too soon, he might injure himself all over again, and since he hasn't really left the garage since he returned from the hospital, we don't know how much the wreck affected his psyche. He could have PTSD and not know it. Walter almost died, and before his near-death experience, he would jump at the chance to risk his life for the team. We can't be too sure he'd do the same this next time. He might hesitate, and hesitation could get someone killed."

Paige understood where Cabe was coming from, but part of her believed Cabe was looking out for Walter as more than just a handler would a client. Walter was lucky to have someone like Cabe in his life to watch over him. "He hasn't said anything to me about having PTSD, but then again, I'm sure he'd keep it to himself if he _did_ have it."

"Say…," Cabe smiled and touched Paige's shoulder, "Walt opens up to _you_ more than anyone else on the team. Perhaps you should sit this case out and give Walter some company. I think being cooped up in this place is driving him insane so why don't you get him out of here for a few hours to help him refresh that oversized brain of his?"

Paige blinked. "Are you sure?"

Cabe nodded. "I'm sure the team can manage without their leader and liaison for one day. I'll call your absence research related."

Paige thought about spending the entire day with Walter, and it made her smile. "Okay."

"Keep him distracted, will you? I don't want him trying to hack into anything or do something stupid while we're gone." Cabe patted her shoulder and turned for the door.

"Will do." Paige gave Cabe a thumb's up before the man left the garage. With a smile still stretching ear to ear, Paige swiftly walked to the kitchen and sat across from Walter. Walter arced his brow and eyed her skeptically. Before he could ask, she propped her elbow on the table, rested her cheek against her knuckles and said, "Cabe gave me the day off; I'm now officially the CEO of Walter's Entertainment Committee so hurry up with your coffee and grab your things. We're getting out of here for a while."

"Where are we going?" Walter blinked as he took a swig of his coffee. After what happened in the loft, he feared what 'Walter's Entertainment Committee' could entail, but at the same time, those words strung together intrigued him.

"You'll see," Paige winked and pushed away from the table. "I'll be back in twenty minutes; I've gotta go home and pick up a few things first." She scurried off to her desk and grabbed her purse. "Oh! I almost forgot!" She hurried back to him and brought her lips to his ear. "Bring your swimsuit."

And then she surprised him with a quick peck against his cheek before rushing out the door. For minutes, he sat there at the table like a blushing idiot with his palm touching his cheek.

 **~ SCORPION ~**

* * *

 **WriterFreak001:**

I originally planned for this to be a one-shot but because of how long it was getting, I decided to split it into a two-shot. I'll finish and upload the second part to this story either tomorrow or Tuesday, and then I'll update _Poaching_ sometime Wednesday or Thursday. :)

Let me know what you think about the writing style too.


	2. Part 2

**WriterFreak001:**

Nothing new.

* * *

 **Title** | Distraction

 **Fandom** | _Scorpion_ (CBS)

 **Description** | Post "Postcards from the Edge." Because Walter was still recovering from the injuries he sustained in the wreck, Cabe asked Paige to take the day off and distract him from work while the other geniuses handle the influx of cases. Knowing that the garage was most likely the last place Walter should be if Cabe had wanted him to keep his mind off of work, she decided to take a mini-vacation and convinced the stubborn man to accompany her to Zuma Beach.

 **Rating** | This fanfiction will be rated M for romantic themes. **[RATING CHANGED!]**

 **POV** | Third Person Omniscient

 **Disclaimer** | While CBS owns _**Scorpion**_ , I am the owner of this masterpiece.

 **Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

 **Distraction**

 **Written by WriterFreak001**

 **Part 2**

 **~ S** **CORPION ~**

Halfway to Zuma Beach, Walter knew where they were going but didn't say anything. Still, he wondered what possessed Paige to take him to the beach of all places. The observatory would be much more enjoyable on such a windy day. When they parked, he finally spoke. "I still don't see why you had me wear my swimming trunks. It's not like I can swim today."

"Just because you can't swim with your injury, it doesn't mean you can't wade in the water," Paige laughed and rolled her eyes as she took the keys out of the ignition and unbuckled her seatbelt. Always so practical. "Besides," Paige pushed her door open, "Would you rather be stuck at the garage all day?"

"Point taken," Walter quickly replied as he unbuckled his seatbelt, opened his door and climbed out of the car. "But I still don't see a reason why I have to get into the water."

"You don't," Paige hopped out of her Malibu, slammed her door shut as Walter closed his, and she circled behind the vehicle to meet up with him. "But… in case you change your mind, you'll be prepared." Paige flashed a warm smile and then opened the back door to grab the blanket. Once they had everything, Walter followed Paige as she led him to a spot on the beach just close enough to the water to be sprayed by the splashing waves. Walter helped her unfold the blanket, and after she smoothed out the material against the white sand, both of them sat down, facing the sparkling water.

For the first few minutes, they sat in silence and watched the water crash against the beach. Seagulls flew above them, and the sun blazed high in the sky as the wind blew Paige's hair behind her face. Walter didn't mind sitting in silence; whenever he and his sister visited the beach, they often sat quietly and enjoyed the scenery. One of the things Walter found pleasing about the beach was that there was science everywhere. The wind… the waves… shells… sea life… sunrises and sunsets… The only thing Walter could really care less for were the people. In his opinion, the fewer the people, the better the beach (but Paige didn't need to know that).

After minutes of a soothing silence, Walter was the first to speak. "I know we haven't really talked about it much, but…," he didn't look at her, "when you said you were coming back to work the next morning at the hospital… I was glad."

A warm smile found Paige's lips, and she pulled her knees to her chest as she glanced at the man whose eyes were fixed on the water. "I don't know if you knew this," she caught Walter's attention, "but Ralph and I were at the airport when we found out about your car wreck. The second I saw your face on the TV screen, I didn't think twice about turning around; I even left my bag sitting at the airport because of it," she laughed and laced her fingers with his. Both of them stared at their conjoined fingers as she continued. "As I was racing to get to you, I couldn't help but feel it was my fault your life was on the line…. I shouldn't have said those things that night; you were still bothered with what happened with Cabe, and I ambushed you and _literally_ sent you over the edge." She caught his gaze and brought his hand to her lips. "I hope you know I didn't mean those things, Walter."

"I know," Walter ran his hand through his hair as Paige gave him a small smile. "As you said, I was emotionally overdriven that day; had I been thinking from a logical standpoint, I would have realized you were only looking out for Ralph. I won't lie," Walter swallowed the lump in his throat, "what you said that night _did_ hurt, but I do understand where you were coming from, and I could never be angry at you for always putting Ralph first." Walter paused when he saw a fresh stream of tears falling down Paige's right cheek; she quickly dabbed her face and gave him a warm smile. "You're a good mom, Paige; Ralph's lucky to have someone like you in his life."

Paige took Walter by surprise when she carefully hooked her arm around his and pressed her cheek against his shoulder, and for once, he didn't shy away from her. "I'm not the only one Ralph's lucky to have," Paige closed her eyes as Walter simply stared at her. He blinked in response to her statement and then smiled. "I honestly don't know where we'd be if we hadn't met you that day in the diner, and the thought of him never connecting to me scared me; you and the team have made such a difference in Ralph's life, and I am eternally grateful for everything you, Sylvester, Toby, Happy and Cabe do for him."

Walter found himself pressing his cheek against the top of Paige's head; he wanted her closer so he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and tugged her towards him. She clearly had no objections. "I cannot speak for the rest of the team, but as much as I provide for Ralph, I think he's given me a lot more." Paige lifted her head from his shoulder and found his soft brown eyes looking at her; she squeezed his hand, silently urging him to continue. He swallowed and gave her a small smile. "I told you once before that my bond with him has made me act and feel more human, but that's only partially correct. I care for Ralph, and I want him to excel in everything he does; I don't want him to be limited like I was when I was his age. Just because he's a genius, it doesn't mean he should experience life the same way I did…. The same way we _all_ did. While I know I'm not Ralph's father," _because you made it pretty clear a few weeks ago that I wasn't…_ _"_ I still think it's important for him to have some… sort of mentor or father figure in his life… whether it's Drew… or… s-someone else other than his biological donor…."

"I couldn't agree more," Paige muttered before placing a soft kiss against his shoulder. She wondered what Walter was trying to say, but she didn't want to force the words out of him. Instead, she simply closed her eyes and pressed her temple against his shoulder again.

Walter, on the other hand, really didn't know where he was going with his thoughts either; he was used to planning ahead and being in control with everything he did, but Paige seemed to have this mystical ability to turn everything he did upside-down, and strangely enough, it didn't really bother him as much as he thought it should. He turned towards the rolling waves and watched the water splash against the sand.

"But you want to know what I also think?" Paige's soft, melodious voice forced Walter to snap his head towards hers. She was smiling, and her eyes were fixed on his. He had a hard time reading her expression.

"What?"

"I don't just think Ralph needs to have a fatherly figure in his life; what I think my son _really_ needs is to know he's loved and deeply cared for by people who understand him and speak his language…, and he has that – more so than he did when it was just the two of us." Paige squeezed his palm and gave Walter a sad smile. Her nose burned and more tears threatened to fall. "When I was driving like a madwoman to get to you…, we heard experts on the radio saying you weren't going to make it. I told Ralph not to listen to them, but he was devastated; it was the first time I've ever seen my son cry since he was a baby. And at that moment, I realized I didn't have the heart to take Ralph away from you guys. Scorpion – especially _you_ , Walter…," Paige wiped away her fallen tears, "meant a lot more to Ralph than I thought. And… had you died—"

"But I didn't." Walter cut her off, but she pressed her finger against his lips to keep him from talking again.

"I know…, but if you _did_ , Ralph's world would have fallen apart, and I don't think I would have known how to help him." Paige didn't wipe the fresh streams of tears falling from her eyes. It may have been weeks since Walter's accident, but until now, they really haven't had a chance to talk about it, and for the longest time, Paige didn't think they'd ever come around to having this discussion, but she was glad they were now finally talking about the fight among other things.

"But since I'm not dead, there's no need to worry about that yet," Walter hated seeing Paige cry, and while he thought Paige would have figured out a way to help her son if he'd died, he really didn't feel like talking about the what-ifs; he wasn't dead so why dwell on it?

Paige opened her mouth to say something, but she pressed her lips together and flashed Walter a smile. "You know what," she kissed his palm, "you're right."

"I mostly always am." Walter chuckled, and then his smile faded.

"What's wrong?"

He shrugged. "Just trying to understand something."

"Understand what?"

Walter looked at the water as seagulls flew in random patterns above the sea. "Since the accident, I've been getting bored a lot lately. I've never gotten bored before; there's always something to do at the garage, but for some reason, I get very bored working on encryptions as well as working on my rocket. I don't really understand why, though." He inhaled a deep breath and looked at her. "I'd much rather be out there on the field and help others out than stay at the garage all day. I know, from a logical standpoint, that it's important for me to fully recover before being out there again, but… I don't know…. I just… don't like doing nothing all day."

Paige touched his arm. "I might not be a shrink, but maybe… maybe the reason you get bored when working on your personal projects is because, somewhere deep inside, you don't want to face something personal… That you'd rather deal with _other_ people's problems than work out your own."

"Hm," Walter hummed. "Makes sense, I guess. There _have_ been some things I've been purposely avoiding…."

"Like what?"

He shrugged. "Um…" He scratched his temple and gulped… "Certain… certain feelings I may or may not have for someone I deeply care for…."

"Well," Paige felt her heart patter against her chest as Walter's eyes met hers briefly before returning to the beach. "Does this particular person share those feelings?"

"I don't know," Walter said way too quickly.

"Give it time," Paige turned towards the water as Walter shot her a glance. "I'm sure whoever she is," she curled a strand of hair behind her ear, "can see just what a great guy you are…. Maybe… maybe she's just waiting for the perfect opportunity to tell you she wants to be with you." Paige started drawing in the sand as she felt Walter's gaze on her.

"That's irrational," Walter mumbled with a slight frown. "No timing is ever perfect."

"Not to you," Paige muttered. "But to her…, it _does_ matter."

Walter was going to counter her statement but decided against it. "Okay." He pursed his lips as she rested her head against his shoulder. "I'll wait." A few moments of silence passed between them before Paige wormed from Walter's side embrace and rose to her feet. He cocked an eyebrow, wondering what she was doing. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No," Paige laughed; Walter didn't understand how this woman's mood could change so quickly, but he decided to analyze it later. "Of course not. I'm just standing up to take off my clothes so I can go swim. I'm tired of talking about depressing stuff; we didn't come here just to have a heart to heart… er… heart to mind… or whatever."

"Oh… Wait, what?" Walter finally registered Paige saying she was going to take off her clothes and felt his pulse rapidly increasing. He watched her kick off her sandals and squish her toes into the sand, but as she began peeling off her shirt, he had the decency to stare at the water. He couldn't help the heat rising in his body as her shirt dropped onto the blanket.

Well aware of how awkward Walter felt, Paige grinned; sometimes, it was important for people – including Walter – to experience life outside their elements every once in a while. She unbuckled her pants, and they fell to her ankles. After she stepped out of them, Walter had the nerve to look up and find Paige wearing a white two-piece swimsuit, leaving just enough mystery to taunt him.

"I don't know about you," Paige started walking towards the water, "but I'm going to go for a swim." Walter's eyes followed her as she dipped her feet into the water, and while rational thought told him to stay dry for the sake of his still-healing injury, something _else_ told him to screw rational thought and just follow her out there. He got as far as standing up when she suddenly turned around and raced back to him. "I almost forgot!" Paige bent down and grabbed her bag before digging into it; Walter watched her with curiosity as she pulled out plastic wrap, scissors and tape.

It didn't take a genius to know why Paige had brought those items. "You certainly put a lot of thought into this little outing."

"Well," she shrugged and took the roll of plastic wrap out of its container. "I had a feeling you'd make some kind of comment about how you couldn't get into the water because of your bandage so I came up with a solution to keep it dry." She handed him the scissors and the tape as she rose to her feet. "Now raise your arms."

"Hang on, I didn't even say I _wanted_ to swim…." Walter, though thoroughly impressed with Paige for her makeshift solution, had a bad feeling about this….

"You wouldn't have worn your swimming trunks if you didn't want to swim," Paige raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. She knew he was uncomfortable, but she truly believed this experience would be good for him.

Walter rolled his eyes; he huffed and ran his hand through his hair. "Fine. You're right. You win."

Paige smiled. "I knew you'd see things my way." He lifted his arms, and she helped him lift his shirt off of his body before dropping it to the ground. Walter lowered his arms a little bit as she picked up the plastic wrap and started wrapping it around his torso. She made sure to cover the bandage completely without cutting off his circulation. Once the bandage was protected, Walter handed her the scissors, and she snipped the plastic before taping it together for extra security. "You might not be able to swim-swim, but you'll at least be able to wade in the water and maybe doggy paddle."

Paige received another eye roll as Walter kicked off his shoes. He didn't know what came over him; he wasn't a fan of swimming or getting in the water, but he was practically willing to do anything to be closer to the woman standing in front of him. It was an irrational desire, and it shouldn't exist, but it did, and he didn't want to ignore it, either. To his surprise, Paige took his hand and dragged him towards the water; he followed like a dog on a leash. The power Paige had over him was so strange and unlike anything he'd ever experience before, and yet, he wanted to study it… understand it… make sense of it…. He wanted to be able to connect with Paige without having to put in the extra effort, and he believed that if he was able to understand everything that happened to him every time he was with Paige or thinking about her, he'd be able to connect with her more.

When the water was up to Walter's knees, Paige released his hand and swam further out until everything below the base of her neck was submerged. She splashed her face and dipped the back of her head into the water as Walter waded a little deeper.

"I still don't think this is a good idea," Walter refused to go as far out as Paige. The water was barely touching his waistline. He crossed his arms and watched Paige with an arced brow as she swam up to him. "Do you know how much bacteria ocean water carries?" Oh, great; now he was starting to sound like Sylvester.

"As true as that may be…," Paige plunged out of the water and splashed Walter's face as she whipped her hair away from her face. He didn't particularly like that, but she ignored the look he was giving her and mimicked his stance. Walter was struggling to keep himself from looking anywhere below Paige's face. She took his hands in hers, curled her fingers around his and continued, "…ocean water is _also_ good for healing, too. Or so I've heard."

"Point taken," Walter glanced at their entwined hands as Paige slowly waded backwards, bringing him further away from shore until the water covered his shoulders. He could still feel the sand beneath his feet, but Paige was paddling her feet to stay afloat. "Still, I have a feeling my doctor wouldn't approve of this…."

Paige smirked and splashed the man's face again; this time, on purpose. "What your doctor doesn't know won't hurt her."

"True…," Walter blankly stared at Paige as she hooked her arms around his neck to stay above the water (at least, that was the excuse he was telling himself). "But since when do _you_ offer to undermine authority?"

She laughed and looked up for a second as a seagull flew above their heads before countering Walter's statement with one of her own. "Since when do you _care_ about authority?"

"Oh." Walter paused and reflected her statement. "All right, I see your point." It didn't matter what logic he would come up with, Paige always had a way to make him see things her way, and while Paige's view of the world wasn't always the most rational, Walter didn't seem to mind. He secretly liked seeing things through her eyes; it was what made his life a little more interesting.

"And you know…," Paige's legs coiled around his hips, and she pulled herself closer to him. Walter gulped as she aligned her nose with his. Butterflies built up in the pits of both their stomachs as the force of the water brought them even closer together. Walter had forgotten how to function as she brought her lips to his ear, "what the rest of the team doesn't know won't hurt them either."

A strange but pleasurable feeling shot through the core of Walter's being as she cupped his cheeks and brushed her fingers through his damp, unruly hair. The frozen man tried distracting himself from the woman caressing his face, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. He didn't even know if he wanted to…. He liked the foreign feelings she was causing him to feel.

"Walter?" her soft voice sent shivers down his spine as she inched closer.

He tried forming words, but his brain was all over the place. Her intimate proximity was doing crazy things to him, and he was having a hard time trying to register everything that was going through him. "Hm?"

Her eyes fluttered as she flicked her eyes from his brown irises to his lips and back to his eyes again. "Ralph wouldn't have been the only one whose world would have been crushed if you died." Walter opened his mouth to remind her he wasn't dead, but she pressed her finger against his lips to shush him. "I'm going to kiss you now."

He gulped as she removed her finger.

"Okay." His voice was tight and quiet.

Slowly, Paige pressed her lips against his, and the socially awkward man turned to ice. She smiled, expecting nothing less. She lightly kissed him again seconds after she lifted her lips away from his, and Walter found himself pulling her closer. He wrapped one arm firmly around the back of her shoulders and cradled her neck with his other hand, weaving his fingers into her wet, stringy hair.

She gently parted from him and rested her forehead against his, pressing the tip of her nose against his cheek. Their warm breaths mingled together in the small space between them as her right hand played with his left. Fingers entwined, and they held each other closely; Walter didn't really understand all of the physical attention he was giving Paige, but he decided not to question them. He just wanted to share this moment with her without any distraction. "I want this." The words were out of his mouth before he knew he was speaking.

She pulled away from his forehead and met his hard gaze. Her thumb strummed his bottom lip as she flashed him a small smile. "I do too."

And without thinking, Walter closed the distance between them, kissing Paige hard on the mouth.

 **~ SCORPION ~**

An hour or so later (neither of them were really sure), Walter and Paige waded out of the water and made their way back to their abandoned blanket. Walter was the first to sit down; exhausted from paddling back to shore (he and Paige had gotten so lost in their kissing that they didn't realize how far the tide pulled them away from the beach), Walter fell to his back and closed his eyes. A wicked smile found Paige's lips and took this as an opportunity to ensnare him. She shamelessly straddled his hips, causing him to pop an eye open, and she lowered herself down to meet his lips. As she kissed him, she grabbed the empty side of the blanket and flopped it over their wet bodies.

For long, uncounted minutes, they kissed under the sunlight as their hands explored one another underneath the blanket. Walter's fiery touches against Paige's flesh awarded him as she grinded her hips against his, and he dared himself to slip his palm underneath her bikini bottoms and touch her; for reasons unknown to him, he wanted to feel her as she rolled against him. As a moan passed from her mouth to his, his fingers dipped inside of her and began moving against her wet core; the way she pushed against him told him he was doing _something_ right. She silently begged him not to stop and go deeper, so he did. She told him exactly what she wanted, and he complied without complaints, but what they were doing wasn't enough; he wanted more.

She did too.

"Let's go to the car," Walter muttered as he removed his hand from between her legs. "It'll be more private."

Paige nodded. "Okay."

They quickly packed their things up and scrambled to Paige's Malibu. They didn't even bother putting their clothes or shoes back on. After they loaded the front seat with their things, Paige eagerly helped remove the plastic wrap from around Walter's abdomen before pulling him into the back seat and claiming his lips with hers. Tongues intermingled as she lowered herself on top of him again. She grabbed his hand and wedged it between her legs, wanting him to resume what he had started on the beach. He didn't hesitate as his hand slipped underneath her swimsuit and touched her again. What he _didn't_ expect was Paige sliding her fingers underneath the lip of his swimming trunks and grabbing onto _him_. She tantalized him as she squeezed his lower extremities and drove him crazy when she tugged him towards her.

Paige used her free hand to untie her bikini top. It fell to the floor of the car, and then she pulled on the ties of her bikini bottoms. Mindlessly, as she continued making out with the man she loved, she slid the wet material away from her and dropped it. Her toes pushed Walter's swimming trunks down to his ankles, and he kicked them off without even thinking about it. As Paige brought both of her hands to his cheeks, Walter found himself gripping both of her thighs, spreading her legs apart. Their glossy eyes melted together as she pushed her belly against his, bringing upon the very thing both of them wanted.

 _Intimacy_.

 **~ SCORPION ~**

When the team returned from their latest assignment, they found both Walter and Paige at their respective desks, working on separate things. Toby found their estranged behavior very odd but decided not to question it. Happy and Sylvester didn't think anything of it and went straight to their desks. Cabe, on the other hand, eyed them suspiciously. Paige was quietly humming to herself, and if Cabe didn't know any better, he'd say she was glowing. No one – unless they had a _really_ good reason – ever smiled while doing paperwork.

Walter was even acting a little odd as well. Not only was he constantly glancing at Paige (nothing too terribly new), but he was also tapping his fingers anxiously – like he couldn't wait to do something. Walter suddenly stood up from his desk, practically ignored everyone else and not-so-discreetly dropped a crumpled piece of paper on Paige's desk. Paige quickly reached for the tiny wad of paper and unraveled it. Her scarlet cheeks didn't go unnoticed by Cabe. He saw Walter heading towards the loft, and Paige was – for some reason – in a hurry to follow the man.

She made it to the stairs when Cabe stopped her. "So… I take it you helped Walter keep his mind away from the case?"

"You could say that," a dark shade of red crept over Paige's cheeks.

"So staying behind today was worth it?"

Paige smiled and looked towards the loft. "Most definitely." She hoped the conversation would end soon because she really, really, really wanted to get upstairs.

"Good deal," Cabe grinned. "Perhaps, until Walter's fully recovered, you should distract him more often." Cabe enjoyed how flustered Paige was; now he knew – on some scale – how Toby felt whenever he discreetly pressed for information. "Will that be a problem?"

Paige smiled ear to ear. "Nope. No problem at all."

"Good." Cabe crossed his arms and grinned. He circled around and chuckled to himself as he heard Paige scramble up the stairs. While he wasn't sure exactly where Walter and Paige stood, he knew something _good_ happened between them, and was proud of Walter. He could tell Walter was in love with Paige, and it wasn't that hard to see that Paige was in love with him too.

Maybe, just maybe, that day when Walter O'Brien realizes and admits he's in love was going to come sooner than Cabe originally thought.

He sure hoped so.

 **~ SCORPION ~**

* * *

 **WriterFreak001:**

As much as it was fun to write, it was certainly a pain! I had so many REAL LIFE distractions, and it made me take forever to finish this! I am incredibly sorry for the delay. The next chapter for _Poaching_ , I PROMISE, will be up by tomorrow morning at the absolute latest. My goal is to work on it and get it out tonight! :)

I changed the rating for obvious reasons.

There were sections of this chapter I wrote out of order, so PLEASE let me know if anything doesn't make sense.

Let me know what you think!


End file.
